I met Regine almost 30 years ago, when she was 24 years old. She was then working for a large New York City accounting firm, but shortly thereafter began working at Morgan Stanley. Her hours there were very long. Often, rather than meeting up for dinner as planned, I would find myself at 10pm, picking her up at her office on 52nd St. and Sixth Avenue. In addition to being hard working and diligent, Regine was financially brilliant. At one point her boss tasked her with finding $560 million in missing funds. For about a month she worked round the clock, until two or three in the morning, and ultimately discovered the funds hidden in a real estate trust in the Channel Islands.
Sometime later, because of our desire to spend more time together, she left Morgan Stanley and served as the CFO of my growing start-up business, which was based in Harlem. Over time that business was sold, and another started. Working together so closely was an incredible experience for both of us. Our businesses thrived but more importantly we spent our days together, on the same schedule and involved in the same enterprise.
Regine was Haitian. In 1963 when she was just two years old (during the Papa Doc era) her father was forced to flee Haiti. After a stint in Brazil at the embassy there, her father moved the family to Queens, NY where Regine grew up. Her father had been a statistician but after arriving in New York City he worked for the MTA.
Regine excelled in public school, often mentoring other students and encouraging her brother Phil in his studies. She loved education and set very high standards for herself. With her self-imposed intellectual rigor and high performance on her SATs, she was awarded a merit scholarship. Regine carefully researched potential colleges. Her brother told me that she was accepted at many, including Harvard, but wanted a small school and chose Williams College.
In contrast, I had only an eighth grade formal education but had educated myself through reading and other means. Regine and I did well together, and our life included our home in Manhattan as well as a weekend getaway house located a few hours north of the city in upstate New York. We enjoyed renovating this property and took occasional nostalgic road trips from there to Williamstown. We traveled frequently and enjoyed exploring new and exotic territory as well as revisiting our favorite places.
Regine was an angel. Everyone who remembers her recalls her lilting laugh, her radiant smile. She was democratic in her friendships and though personally deeply private, she was immediately accessible to any friend in need. She was greatly loved. Even the mailman broke down in tears when hearing of her untimely death. She was generous with her love and attention, modest about her intelligence and accomplishments, playful and joyous, complicated and resilient, charming and resolute. We will love and miss her always.
